Septic Tanks and Scripture

I’m not very good at manual labor, but this doesn’t mean I’m unable to do it.

Our septic tank had to be pumped again today. If you’re unfamiliar with septic tanks, consider yourself blessed. A septic tank is a buried container usually made of concrete or other such strong material through which waste flows in order for the liquid to be treated and then sent out into a drain field. That which isn’t liquid remains in the septic tank and is broken down by various and sundry enzymes into sludge. This definition may be incorrect or incomplete, but it encompasses my basic understanding of what a septic tank is and does.

Septic tanks have to be emptied every few years in order to work properly otherwise the home’s drain system will back up causing a rather disgusting mess. Unfortunately, the number of people who live in a particular home largely determines how often a septic tank must be emptied. We have 10 people in our house which means ours must be emptied more often than normal.

Again, my explanation may be lacking, but the general idea is still true. If your home has a septic tank, it must be emptied occasionally and the more people you have in your home the more frequently this must happen.

In order for my septic tank to be emptied by a vacuum truck, a portion of the lid has to be uncovered. This means that someone had to dig a decent-sized hole. That someone was yours truly.

So…I dug a hole yesterday. It’s not something I’m good at, but I did it anyway. I did it because in order for the septic tank to be emptied and for things to work properly, it had to be done.

The pattern I used was alternating 20 minutes of digging and 5-7 minutes of resting. Dig for 20 minutes, rest for 5-7 minutes. I knew if I just dug and dug and dug without resting, I would get discouraged and quit before the job was done. Doing it my way, I completed the dig in about 2 hours.

I did something I’m not very good at by doing it in small chunks until it was done. If I dug holes more often I would probably be able to dig longer than 20 minutes, but you have to start somewhere.

Does this make sense to you? If so, maybe it’s how you can start reading the Bible.

I don’t mean to assume you don’t read the Bible. However, I know that most people don’t–including most professing Christians. And the reason some give is that they aren’t very good at it. And when you’re not very good at something the idea of reading a book as big as the Bible is terribly intimidating.

So…start small. Maybe with just one chapter a day. Or 5 minutes a day. Or 10 minutes a day. And the more you do it, the more you will get done and the more you will be able to do.

I didn’t have to dig the hole all at once, but I had to start somewhere.

If you aren’t currently reading God’s Word—just start somewhere and pretty soon you will look down and see how much into it you have dug.

And you will be blessed.

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